DiversityNursing Blog

An estimated 250,000 service members transition out of the military each year. According to a survey by Navy Federal Credit Union, in partnership with the nonprofit Hire Heroes USA, health care topped the list of the 10 best career employment opportunities for those transitioning.

Service members have skills, principles, and standards that fit perfectly into a hospital or health system’s own core values and needs.

Veterans are trained to keep an eye on the big picture, while also keeping a strong sense of details.

Military personnel are the ultimate team players and are team-trained leaders. One of the first things they learn in the military is to become a good leader, you must first be a good follower. For them, rising through the ranks is a rite of passage and allows all military leaders to create their own management styles based on what they've learned from their superiors.

Veterans are able to adapt and work well in extreme conditions. They are accustomed to assessing situations and quickly forming a plan of action.

These trained service members are experts in delivering emergency services in under-resourced environments. This is an invaluable resource for rural and critical access hospitals.

Veterans can also relate to a Nurses' 12-hour shift, foregoing bathroom and lunch breaks during long durations.

According to an article from the National Institutes of Health, The Nursing shortage in the United States is expected to reach 260,000 Registered Nurses by 2025. Capitalizing on prior education, experience, and skills of military clinical personnel to fill these jobs could significantly reduce the projected Nursing shortage.

Many Nursing schools offer Veterans' Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (VBSN) programs. Programs like these, strengthen and grow the Nursing workforce through increased enrollment, progression, and graduation of veterans from baccalaureate Nursing programs.  These programs help veterans transition from their former military role to a civilian Registered Nurse.

Veterans possess clinical skills and have received excellent training in care delivery. All of the qualities mentioned will add value to your health system.

According to Diversity Best Practices, from 2015 to 2030, the US population is projected to grow by 12 percent, from about 321 million to 359 million. Most of that growth will come from minority and immigrant populations.

In order to better serve this growing population there needs to be more diverse healthcare professionals in leadership roles that mirror a culturally competent workforce. 

Modern Healthcare covered the industry’s lack of diversity in the C-suite mentioning, "Only 14% of hospital board members and 9% of CEOs are minorities, according to the most recent study by the American Hospital Association's Institute for Diversity and Health Equity—the same percentages as in 2013."

Yvonne Wesley, PhD, RN, FAAN and M. Jane Fitzsimmons, MSN, RN worked together to better understand the barriers diverse Nursing leaders faced in progressing their careers into higher leadership roles.

They created a survey that asked, "What do you perceive as the top three barriers for diversity Nurse leaders in advancing their careers to the executive level?" 

The answers were:

• Lack of equal access to inclusion.
• Lack of mentorship and sponsorship.
• Lack of opportunities for leader experiences.

Here are some ways to promote diversity in healthcare leadership.

In order to destroy these barriers, leaders of all backgrounds and ethnicities must first understand and accept that these barriers do exist. Those leaders can take that knowledge and their own personal cultural insights and use them to effectively address disparities within their own communities.

Mentoring programs are extremely important and should be implemented ASAP. As in any business, Nurses need leaders to help guide and inspire them. Representation of diverse Nurses in leadership positions creates positive influence and confidence in other Nurses looking to achieve leadership goals in the future.

Recruiting diverse candidates at every level increases representation in management, but also develops a diverse workforce and future pool of qualified candidates.

Utilize pro-diversity initiatives to reduce social isolation. Hire a Diversity & Inclusion Officer and appoint a diversity committee. There should be a diversity action plan, diversity training, social gatherings, and resource groups.

In healthcare, trust and representation matters. More diversity in healthcare leadership roles will create better patient outcomes.

We love this story and are excited to share it with you! Spirit Halloween is a major Halloween retailer and their mission is to make hospitals less scary for kids and their families through their Spirit of Children organization.

Spirit of Children has raised more than $55 million for Child Life departments since 2007 and their goal is to raise $10 million this year.

According to an article on PRNewswire, Funds for Spirit of Children are raised via donations from customers at more than 1,360 Spirit Halloween stores and SpiritHalloween.com, in addition to contributions from vendors and business partners. One hundred percent of funds raised by Spirit of Children stay local and are donated to each hospital's Child Life department.

These funds are used to host Halloween parties at pediatric hospitals during October so patients won't miss out on Halloween celebrations.

This year they’re hosting around 100 Halloween parties across the U.S. and Canada. Overall Spirit of Children will supply more than 80,000 costumes, accessories, activities and decorations for the parties. Also patients and families get to meet favorite characters like Batman and Ben 10.

Terry Spearman, Director of Child Life and Integrative Care Services at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C. said, "Spirit of Children recognizes that healing a child's body, mind and spirit takes more than medicine."

According to Penn State Children's Hospital, The funds are also used to hire additional Child Life staff, extending Child Life hours of operation and providing full-time Child Life specialists in the Emergency Department. Educational and entertainment items such as iPads and toys used for distraction during procedures are also purchased with funding. In addition, Spirit of Children funding has helped create playrooms, teen lounges and separate family spaces for long hospital visits.

See photos of Penn State Children's Hospital Spirit of Children Halloween party, click here to view photos.

Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU is another participating hospital. Here’s their video showcasing their Spirit of Children Halloween party.

Happy Halloween!!

To answer this question, we did some research and discovered the answer is Yes, a deaf person can have a career in Nursing. In this article, we focus on 3 Nurses who are making it happen.

For Dionne Jaques, becoming a Nurse was a goal of hers for many years. She knew it would be difficult to achieve this goal because she is deaf. Dionne never gave up. She fulfilled her goal and is a Registered Nurse in a health care facility in Southern Utah. During her valedictorian speech at Nightingale College graduation, she said "Don't let your limitations slow you down".

There are many people like Dionne whose passion is Nursing, like Annie Resetar. Annie has moderate to severe hearing loss. She graduated from Walsh University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She then interned at Akron Children’s Hospital and is currently working as an aide in a Nursing home.

Annie said, "I think my hearing disability sets me apart and makes me a better Nurse. It helps build trust with my patients. It is a testament that there are things wrong with all of us, but that should not get in the way of our lives and dreams. Rather, we simply must adapt and embrace these differences because they make us stronger."

Lauren Searls was born deaf and both of her parents are deaf. Her goal is to be a Family Nurse Practitioner. She received her RN degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and has applied for an MS in Nursing there.

According to the Rochester Institute of Technology, Lauren has relied on interpreters in the classroom and while visiting patients.

She said, "I go into the patients’ rooms with confidence, introduce myself, tell the patients that I am deaf and will rely on interpreters as needed. I have been able to make it work effectively. Although I do well in one-on-one situations and small group settings, I am not hearing and only 30 percent of the English language is lip readable and there is no guarantee that everyone speaks clearly or is easy to understand. Working with an interpreter is the only way I’ll be able to ensure I have access to what is going on around me.”

Nurses who are hard of hearing are legally entitled to use accommodations like ASL (American Sign Language) interpreters and tools such as amplified stethoscopes to assist them. To learn more about resources and accommodations, the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss (AMPHL) and the Society of Health Care Professionals With Disabilities advocates for deaf and hard-of-hearing professionals in the medical field.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 61 million adults in the United States live with a disability and 13.7 percent of those people have a mobility disability with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

In Switzerland 10 master students from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology wanted to develop a new generation wheelchair that would provide more accessibility and freedom for it's users to go wherever life takes them.

The biggest challenge for wheelchair users is stairs. So the students created the Scewo Bro wheelchair.

The Scewo Bro is an electric, stair-climbing wheelchair with self-balancing, segway technology to make it easier for the user to rotate on the spot and to drive over curbs without getting stuck. It is controlled by using your smartphone or the integrated touch screen and joy stick.

This amazing wheelchair uses rubber tracks to safely climb stairs, even spiral staircases. In a BBC article, one of the student designers, Thomas Gemperle, explained “Stairs are climbed sitting backward and driven down in the forward position. The tracks adapt to the angle of the stair automatically and keep the user level at all times."

Thomas also added, “With our special drive-train we have a wide stand on the stairs which makes it impossible to tip over in any direction."

Another feature of the Scewo Bro is “elevated mode”. This feature raises the wheelchair up for an eye level conversation or for reaching objects up high.

The Scewo Bro charges in 5 hours with any household outlet and folds down into a compact size to fit in the smallest of cars.

According to a CNN article, Jose Di Felice from Switzerland, was paralyzed in both legs and 1 arm after a high-speed motorcycle accident 3 years ago.

He discovered the Scewo Bro on Youtube and requested a test drive. Di Felice test drove the wheelchair at his town hall. He told CNN, "It was really emotional to go up these stairs, and look down there and say that it's possible."

It is anticipated the Scewo Bro wheelchairs will be distributed to users by the end of 2019. Di Felice will be one of the first to receive this life changing wheelchair.

Domestic violence does not discriminate. Anyone of any age, race, education level, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religion or gender can be a victim OR perpetrator.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence ncadv.org, Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and emotional abuse. 

Often at the beginning of a relationship, you can’t tell if it will become abusive. Typically, in the early stages of the relationship, the abusive partner is perfect in every way. Signs of controlling behaviors and obsessiveness emerge and intensify as the relationship goes on.

Domestic Violence Statistics

According to the CDC,

• On average, nearly 20 people/minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. In 1 year, this equates to 10+ million women and men.
• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.
• 1 in 7 women and 1 in 25 men have been injured by an intimate partner.
• 1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
• 1 in 10 women have been raped by an intimate partner. Data is unavailable on male victims.

Nurses have an important role to play in assisting victims of abuse/violence in a domestic situation.

Abused victims say that a compassionate inquiry from a caring Nurse helped them disclose their abuse and find the best intervention services. By recognizing the signs of abuse and caring to ask questions, the patient recognizes the Nurse is knowledgeable about domestic violence and validates domestic violence as a legitimate health care issue.

According to a Crisis Prevention article, when assessing a victim, be aware of the following physical signs of injuries that may be related to domestic violence:

• Bruising in the chest and abdomen
• Multiple injuries
• Minor lacerations
• Ruptured eardrums
• Delay in seeking medical attention and
• Patterns of repeated injury

However it is unlikely the victim will be seeking help for a physical injury. More likely they are seeking help for issues such as:

• A stress-related illness
• Anxiety, panic attacks, stress and/or depression
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Chronic headaches, asthma, vague aches and pains
• Abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea
• Sexual dysfunction, vaginal discharge
• Joint pain, muscle pain
• Sleeping and eating disorders
• Suicide attempts, psychiatric illness or
• Gynecological problems, miscarriages, chronic pelvic pain

The victim may also:

• Appear nervous, ashamed or evasive
• Describe their partner as controlling or prone to anger
• Seem uncomfortable or anxious in the presence of their partner
• Be accompanied by their partner, who does most of the talking
• Give an unconvincing explanation of the injuries
• Be recently separated or divorced
• Be reluctant to follow advice

After assessing the patient, try not to jump in too fast with suggestions and solutions. Encourage the patient to talk, and then listen carefully. After you have a better understanding of the patient's current state, you can help by providing appropriate resources for them to find safety. Some of these resources include…

The National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)
www.ndvh.org

National Sexual Assault Hotline 
1-800-656-4673 (HOPE)
www.rainn.org

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence 
1-800-537-2238
www.nrcdv.org and www.vawnet.org

Futures Without Violence: The National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence 
1-888-792-2873
www.futureswithoutviolence.org

National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health
1-312-726-7020 ext. 2011
www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org

Childhelp USA/National Child Abuse Hotline 
1-800-422-4453
www.childhelpusa.org

Domestic Violence Initiative 
(303) 839-5510/ (877) 839-5510
www.dviforwomen.org

INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence 
incite.natl@gmail.com 
www.incite-national.org

Casa de Esperanza 
Linea de crisis 24-horas/24-hour crisis line 
1-651-772-1611
www.casadeesperanza.org

Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence 
1-415-954-9988
www.apiidv.org

Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community 
1-877-643-8222
www.dvinstitute.org

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.3 billion people globally live with some form of vision impairment.

With regard to Distance Vision

• 188.5 million people have mild vision impairment
• 217 million have moderate to severe vision impairment
• 36 million people are blind
  
  

With regard to Near Vision

• 826 million people live with a near vision impairment

Kursat Ceylan knows the struggles of being blind and wanted to make life easier and more convenient for others who face the same challenges. He created WeWalk. WeWalk is an innovative cane which includes built-in speakers, voice assistance, Google Maps, a Bluetooth system and more.

According to a Design Wanted article, the device features dual sensors that vibrate to alert the user of upcoming danger at ground & chest level. The battery can be charged via a USB and works up to 5 hours. The cane can connect to apps like Uber and Lyft allowing access to convenient transportation. Google Maps provides an accurate navigation system when walking. It also features an LED light to assist partially sighted people. 

Kursat Ceylan told CNN "As a blind person, when I am at the Metro station I don’t know which is my exit, I don’t know which bus is approaching, which stores are around me. That kind of information can be provided with the WeWalk.”

Ceylan's device has competition with other products such as the Smart Cane Device, the BAWA cane and the SmartCane, but the fact that WeWalk utilizes and incorporates existing technologies (voice assistance, Google Maps, and Bluetooth synchronization), makes it a completely new idea.

VERSAILLES, Ky.—National Midwifery Week is the first week of October, and Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is celebrating by hosting a virtual event dedicated to nurse-midwifery. Featured topics include healthcare team communication and perinatal mental health. Nurse-midwives, prospective midwives and others can participate online at Frontier.edu/MidwiferyWeek. 

From September 29 to October 5, the Empower 2019 FNU Virtual Event: Nurse-Midwives Improving Patient Care Through Teamwork will bring together leaders in nurse-midwifery to present the following sessions:

·         Celebrating National Midwifery Week - Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FACNM, FAAN, President, Frontier Nursing University and President, American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM)

·         It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: A Community-Based Approach to Improving Perinatal Mental Health - Kalena Lanuza, DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, PHN, CLCI 

·         We’re All in It Together - Midwives, Nurses and Physicians: A Team Solution for a Team Problem - Cathy Collins-Fulea, DNP, CNM, FACNM, Faculty Member, Frontier Nursing University

·         Maybe there is an “I” in TEAM: IPECS - Audrey Perry DNP, CNM, Clinical Director, Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner and Nurse-Midwifery programs, Frontier Nursing University and Mark B. Woodland, MS, MD, Chair, Department of OBGYN, Reading Hospital 

·         I Wanna Be Part of the Team! Becoming a Nurse-Midwife - Tonya Nicholson, DNP, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE, FACNM, Associate Dean of Midwifery and Women’s Health, Frontier Nursing University

Dr. Collins-Fulea will present a certified nurse-midwife-designed quality improvement project aimed at decreasing the length of stay in an obstetrical triage unit. She will discuss how improved team communication and patient engagement and the use of nurse-driven orders decreased patient time in triage and increased client and staff satisfaction. 

Dr. Lanuza’s session will explore how empowering women through a shared decision-making process, coupled with community collaboration, can improve the implementation of effective perinatal mental health practices in the obstetric setting and society at large. Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) can occur in up to 20 percent of women during the perinatal period and are among the leading cause of complications associated with childbearing.

The 2019 virtual event is sponsored by Southern Cross Insurance Solutions. National Midwifery Week was created by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) to celebrate and recognize midwives and midwife-led care. ACNM and its 7,000+ midwife members, physicians and women’s health organizations observe National Midwifery Week each year. FNU President Dr. Susan Stone is currently serving as president of the ACNM Board of Directors. 

Frontier Nursing University is the birthplace of nurse-midwifery in the United States and has 80 years of experience in delivering graduate nursing and midwifery programs. This is the fifth consecutive year FNU has hosted a virtual event in support of National Midwifery Week. 

Register for the virtual event and learn more at Frontier.edu/MidwiferyWeek. 

Women of color in the United States suffer unacceptably poor maternal health outcomes, including high rates of death related to pregnancy or childbirth.

The Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System started in 1987 and since then, the number of reported pregnancy-related deaths in the United States increased from 7.2 deaths per 100,000 live births to 17.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2015.

Considerable racial/ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related mortality exist. During 2011–2015, the pregnancy-related mortality ratios were—

• 42.8 deaths per 100,000 live births for black non-Hispanic women.
• 32.5 deaths per 100,000 live births for American Indian/Alaskan Native non-Hispanic women.
• 14.2 deaths per 100,000 live births for Asian/Pacific Islander non-Hispanic women.
• 13.0 deaths per 100,000 live births for white non-Hispanic women.
• 11.4 deaths per 100,000 live births for Hispanic women.

Variability in the risk of death by race/ethnicity indicates that more can be done to understand and reduce pregnancy-related deaths.

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African American mothers die at a rate that's 3.3 times greater than whites, and Native American or Alaskan Native women die at a rate 2.5 times greater than whites.

Pregnancy-related mortality rates are also high among certain subgroups of Hispanic women. A Science Direct article says, pregnancy-induced hypertension was the leading cause of pregnancy-related death for Hispanic women.

The CDC report also shows roughly 3 in 5 pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. But, the health care system fails to listen to diverse population's health concerns and so the maternal mortality rate keeps rising.

According to the Healthy People Final Review, Approximately 25% of all U.S. women do not receive the recommended number of prenatal visits.  This number rises to 32% among African Americans and to 41% among American Indian or Alaska Native women.

An article from the Center for American Progress believes there is little research on what social factors contribute to poor delivery and birth outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native women because of the small population size and racial misclassifications. But they do know these women face many barriers when it comes to getting healthcare.

The National Partnership for Women & Families explains African American women experience more maternal health complications. 

• African American women are three times more likely to have fibroids than white women. Fibroids are benign tumors that grow in the uterus and can cause postpartum hemorrhaging. Also the fibroids occur at younger ages and grow more quickly for African American women.
• African American women display signs of preeclampsia earlier in pregnancy than white women. Preeclampsia involves high blood pressure during pregnancy and can lead to severe complications including death if not properly treated.
• African American women experience physical “weathering,” meaning their bodies age faster than white women’s due to exposure to chronic stress linked to socioeconomic disadvantage and discrimination over the life course, this makes pregnancy riskier at an earlier age.

The CDC report also shows that more than a third of pregnancy-related deaths were due to cardiovascular conditions. Cardiovascular disease is more common among black women and can occur at earlier ages than in white women.

It is very clear that health disparities have a lot to do with racism. Until it is addressed and programs are put in place to combat racism in healthcare, mortality rates will continue to rise.

We found this inspiring Pilot Program we think will be of interest to you. Healthcare provider, AdventHealth, rolled out an unusual program last year that hopes to “revolutionize” the way patient care is delivered around the country.

The goal of the pilot program, started in 2018, was to free up Nurses to provide more patient-centered care without the constant interruption of writing down the care as it was given. Nurses were paired with a Care Team Assistant (CTA) to document patients’ medical care at the time it was provided. This was done under the Nurse’s supervision and they worked as a team.

“This pilot is helping me be the type of Nurse that I dreamed of,” said Christine Reyes, a Registered Nurse at AdventHealth Altamonte Springs. “I became a Nurse because I wanted to show compassion to people who need it most, and this pilot is allowing me to do that even more.”

Results of the pilot program

·         Staff responsiveness (a measurement of the patient experience) improved by 12%.

·         Lab turnaround time improved by 13%.

·         73% of nurses said they feel they are able to spend more time with patients when assisted by a CTA.

Eric Stevens, CEO of acute care services for AdventHealth in metro Orlando said "AdventHealth is committed to finding innovative solutions to health care problems. We created this model to improve the way we work to make it easy for both our patients and staff. Our Nursing staff is key to providing compassionate, whole-person care. A hospital stay can be an unnerving experience. This program helps our Nurses spend quality time with our patients and their families to focus on supporting them while they heal."

AdventHealth is building on the success of the pilot and expanding it to other units.

What do you think of this program? Is it a good idea to implement at other hospitals? Share your ideas here.